Japanese comedian, actor and performer Hiroshi Shimizu talks about bringing his show to the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe.

1. Tell us about your career so far. Are you happy with where you're at?

I started comedy in 1995 in Japanese and in 2011 in English.
I have been working in Japan for 25 years as a professional theatre actor and 20 years as a comedian, appearing on TVs, radios, theatres, events and touring all over Japan.
From 2011, I started to perform also overseas, like in Edinburgh, Taiwan, Korea, Seattle, and NY.
This year I had a tour around Canadian fringes, like the Ottawa Fringe Festival and Winnipeg Fringe Festival, and Orlando Fringe Festival (Florida).
At the Winnipeg Festival I got an award called 'Jenny's Review Award' that is very popular in Canadian Fringe Association among audience, reviewers and performers.

2. Describe your show in exactly 23 words.

Energetic cultural struggling story-telling comedy about a Japanese comedian struggling against English comedy and language like Don Quixote, brave, stupid funny and encouraging!

3. Why are you putting yourself through this famously stressful experience?

Because there's Festival like there's mountain for climbers!

5. How much money do you think you'll lose/make this year?

If you audience come to see my show, I will be able to earn the flight money!

6. What's your weirdest past Fringe experience?

Some strip club where all the drunken guy never wanted to see comedy.

7. What other shows are you hoping to see?

Many stand-up shows, whether it's famous or infamous, and other categorised shows that are very unique!

8. If you took over programming a venue, what would you perfect line-up of comedians be?

Each country's Zombies, each country's stupid politicians, each country's criminals.

9. Name the one person you'd rather not bump into during the festival.

Just famous performers who just come here to make their careers more famous.

10. Why should audiences pick your show over the 1,700+ other comedy offerings at this year's festival?

In this Fringe, people should pick up strange, weird, unusual and creepy thing to see,
And this is it! (My show!)

'Japanese Samurai Don Quixote Challenging Against English Giant Windmills!' is at 1:30pm at Espionage on 6-17, 19-30 August. Listing